09/05/2025
Dr. Ralston Major is honored to have trained under a true giant in American surgery, Dr. Phillip Burns.
In 1976, Dr. Burns revitalized the University of Tennessee Chattanooga General Surgery Residency Program, and over the next half century he devoted his life to its growth. As chairman, he transformed it into one of the premier surgical training programs in the nation. His tenure surpassed even that of Dr. Michael DeBakey, making him the longest-serving chairman in the history of medicine.
Dr. Burns’ influence on the Major family spans generations. He trained Dr. Ralston Major, as well as his father, two uncles, and younger brother. Today, he continues to guide the next generation—Dr. Ralston Major’s cousin, Lynch Major, a fourth-year surgery resident at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Lynch, son of the late Dr. Paul Major, aspires to return home and carry forward the family’s tradition of service at Major Surgical & Vein Clinic after residency.
Though few outside of the Major family may realize it, Dr. Phillip Burns has shaped the standard of surgical care in Troup County for nearly half a century. His legacy is deeply woven into our lives, and we will always hold him on a pedestal of gratitude, reverence, and respect. The Major family is forever indebted to the impact he has made on our patients, our profession, and our lives.
University of TN College of Medicine, Chattanooga, Department of Surgery
Burns Farms
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/sep/03/champions-of-health-care-2025-dr-phillip-burns/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4rcrptQDnlc9-tEV5-6mJ3N1SNTDg_06kIxvEGyPlSepluWDFXBK3RRAsg5g_aem_vlBxzdpDnYHRrbSogmSflA
Most days, Dr. Phillip Burns doesn't slow down long enough to wonder how he does it all.
